El Dorado United Competitive Club - Skill & Positioning Guidelines 
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Position / Team Skills Guidelines

The following are only guidelines and to be used for reference purposes. Each age group will have different expectations. Distances are based on ages 12 and up. 

POSITION PLAY

FORWARD:

  • Aggressive to the goal, offensively minded

  • Good speed, quickness, and acceleration

  • Can control the ball in opponents own 3rd of field with feints, shielding, shot (Left/Right footed), pass (left/right footed), dribble, or back pass.

  • Ability to set up, make, or receive simple short wall passes in the air and on the ground

  • Ability to shoot accurately with two touches maximum with left or right foot.

  • Ability to lose defenders, penetrate a defense, and attack the goal 

  • Ability to maneuver past defenders to head the ball for a goal.

  • Ability to pass and/or cross the ball accurately from the goal line areas (50 meters).

  • Follows-up aggressively on all shots made on goal 

  • Strong trapping ability

  • Can receive ball in the air or on the ground, while on the run, and shoot or pass on the run with the inside or outside of the left or right foot.

  • Can make accurate direct penalty kicks, and hopefully bend kicks

  • Knows how to optimize indirect and corner kicks.

  • Ability to read the field and set up plays

  • Ability to run at and past opponents with the dribble with the use of one trick and/or one option.

  • Exhibits a “team” attitude recognizing that the midfielders and defenders create all of their scoring opportunities.

  • Creates space by utilizing the width of the field, and arrives in space to receive passes on time.

  • Stays in position (whether dropping back or pushing up)

  • Ability to communicate game strategies with other offensive and midfielders.

MIDFIELDER:

  • These are the best all-around players of the game and can meet most of the requirements for both defenders and forwards.

  • Both offensively and defensively minded

  • Ability to read the field and set up plays

  • Ability to receive, control and run with the ball while shielding it effectively

  • Ability to pass backwards and to the side with accuracy and touch

  • Ability to two touch pass for a shot, pass, volley or half volley

  • Ability to shoot on goal with accuracy and power from 25 meters (+/-)

  • Ability to ground pass deceptively through small gaps over 25 meters (+/-)

  • Ability to make long, accurate passes of 50 meters (+/-) to switch the field

  • Ability to anticipate and intercept passes from the opponent.

  • Understand forward defensive responsibilities and appreciate the counter-attacking possibilities

  • Ability to head the ball effectively from the midfield position

  • Maximum endurance, good speed, acceleration, and quickness.

  • Ability to make medium and long passes accurately

  • Ability to run set plays: Accurate corner kicks, and quick, accurate throw-ins

  • Strong trapping ability

  • Strong chipping skills

  • Ability to set up offensive plays and scoring opportunities 

  • Good dribbling skills

  • Stays in position (whether dropping back or pushing up)

  • Ability to communicate with other midfielders as well as defensive and offensive players.

DEFENDER:

  • Defensively minded and understands and likes that defense is equally as important as offense to the teams success.

  • Stays in position (whether dropping back or pushing up)

  • Ability to control the ball, and to pass out of trouble, or clear the ball.

  • Ability to intercept opposition passes in own 3rd of field and move ball efficiently to midfielders in the middle 3rd of the field.

  • Ability to make short and long pass accurately down the line

  • Ability to move the ball from the middle of the field to the outside without turning the ball over to the opposition.

  • Demonstrates the ability to mark, track and cover the offensive players

  • Competes to head the ball

  • Quick acceleration, quickness, and speed needed to stay with opposing forwards

  • Ability to steal the ball and reinitiate offensive momentum

  • Strong shielding ability

  • Understand how to work with (not against) the goalie, and implements defensive alignment instructions from goalie.

  • Understands how to defend the ‘back door” shot.

  • Understands how to defend against corner kicks; and direct and indirect kicks.

  • Ability to communicate with other defenders, goalie and midfielders.

GOALKEEPER:

  • Strength and power

  • Agility, coordination, and quick reflexes

  • Flexibility

  • Confidence, courage, fearless, tough

  • Mentally tough; right attitude to be a goalie

  • Good perception and coordination

  • Ability to catch and box

  • Ability to dive for ball

  • Ability to handle breakaways

  • Ability to handle low, high, and wide shots

  • Ability to distribute the ball anywhere on own half of the field accurately

  • Ability to play angles of the shot to her advantage

  • Ability to anticipate the shot

  • Strong communication and leadership to insure proper defensive alignment, especially on direct, indirect, and corner kicks.

  • Strong, accurate punting ability

  • Strong, accurate goal kicking ability

  • Comprehends defensive alignment 

  • Strong, accurate ball throwing ability

  • Willing & Able to “charge” the ball, or a player

  • Ability to quickly spot open teammates to set up an offensive play

  • Ability to make quick decisions

  • Ability to communicate with defenders, midfielders and offensive players.

TEAM PLAY

Possession

  • Ball on the ground most of the time; not always in the air

  • Ball is controlled and passed accurately; not struck on the first touch

  • Play in opponents 3rd of the field, and keep ball out of own 3rd of the field.

  • Have possession of the ball for 75% of playing time.

  • Control the pace of the game

  • Cause opponents to chase the play

Position

  • Players have space in which to play as opposed to not having time to make space.

  • Attackers can work to use their skills without being fouled.

  • Work to exploit the opposition’s weaknesses by focusing play there.

Surprise

  • Play involves frequent interchanges of position; as opposed to the players appearing in the same position throughout the match.

Depth in Offensive Attack and Defense

  • Shots at goal are frequent and accurate; not rare and opportunistic.

  • Shots come from skillfully created openings; not on ricochets and defensive errors.

  • Players vary play by passing and dribbling; not always passing and never dribbling.

  • Play has a clear pattern and purpose, and is NOT pattern less and/or aimless.

  • Defenders mark and cover quickly, and intercept and turn passes consistently.

  • Seek penetration on offense and containment on defense

  • Attempt to create dispersion on offense and compression on defense

  • Seek to have mobility on offense and balance on defense

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